They walk out of the ring together as two others replace their spots. Sebastian leans down to pick his shirt up where he discarded it before the fight. There’s a wide smile on his face, lighting up his eyes and making him seem younger. I find myself staring at him, even as he uses his shirt to wipe the drying blood from his chin, nose and chest. I can’t look away.
Not even when he stops right at the edge of the circle and lifts his head in my direction. I freeze, yet I still can’t tear my eyes away. It’s only when his smile falters and the warmth in his eyes dissipates like a flame being snuffed out that I realise how screwed I am. My mind tries to rationalise, that if I stayreallystill, maybe I’ll blend into the foliage and trees around us. That ridiculous thought proves to be utterly hopeless as his green eyes fill with fury and connect with mine.
Oh, shit.
Tilly tugs on my arm and yanks me down behind the boulder.
‘Did he see you?’ she yelps.
‘Yes! But I don’t think he saw you. So quick, hide!’ I start trying to shove her forward, telling her to save herself, but she stays put and shoots me a stern look.
‘If you think I’m going to abandon you, I fear you have the wrong idea about how this friendship works. Plus, he looks like he wants to eat you alive, and I’m not prepared to have that on my conscience.’
‘How do you know he looks like that?’ I ask, exasperated. I appreciate the sentiment of her not wanting to leave me behind, but I’d rather that than the both of us getting in trouble.
Tilly points over my shoulder. ‘Because he’s right there.’ Her eyes dart behind me at what I’m presuming is my unit leader coming our way. The nape of my neck prickles with heat. Slowly, and I meanveryslowly, I glance over my shoulder to find him stomping through the trees toward us.
‘Fuck!’ My brain scrambles for an excuse until suddenly, I let out an obnoxious yawn, stretching my arms out for dramatic effect. ‘Tilly, did we sleepwalk again? We havegotto stop doing that.’
‘What?’ she hisses at me before I kick her foot. ‘Oh, yes!’ Her eyes flash with understanding. She lets out her own fake yawn. ‘Stars, we sure are tired after all that sleepwalking. We should get back to our beds.’
‘I agree. What a weird place to wake up,’ I add, pushing to my feet and coming face to face with Sebastian, who’s glaring daggers. ‘Oh, Sebastian? What are you doing out here? Tilly and I were just—’
‘Sleepwalking, yeah I heard,’ he says deadpan. His eyes shift to Tilly behind me. ‘Why am I not surprised to find you here, Revlock?’
‘Me?’ she purses her lips, feigning confusion.
‘Who else would I be talking to?’
‘Hmm … nowthatis a mighty fine question.’
I grind my teeth together to stop the laugh that threatens to burst out of me at the sight of Sebastian’s face.
‘For fuck’s sake!’ he barks. ‘Revlock, get your ass back to your room before I walk back and tell your unit leader one of her acolytes was just caught hiding in the middle of the woods after curfew.’
‘Not hiding. Sleepwalking,’ I interrupt, flashing him an innocent smile.
He ignores me, pointing toward the academy. ‘Now, Revlock.’
I see the hesitation in Tilly’s eyes as she moves from foot to foot : she doesn’t want to leave me alone with him and I don’t want her walking back by herself.
‘I’m not letting her walk back alone,’ I blurt. ‘I’ll go with her.’
‘No. You’re staying with me and we’re going to have a littletalk. If Revlock is scared to walk back by herself, I’ll happily go back over there,’ he points to the clearing, ‘and find one of her unit members to take her.’
And get her into trouble? Absolutely not!
‘This looks cozy,’ a chipper voice calls out, startling Tilly and me. Jed walks up behind Sebastian and claps him on the shoulder. ‘Silver! What are you doing out here? Did you see me win?’ He grins, looking smug.
‘Perfect timing,’ Sebastian interjects before I can even think of a reply. ‘I need you to walk Revlock back to campus while I have a word with Nocthare about safety and reckless behaviour.’
‘Ouch, that sounds rough.’ Jed screws up his nose. ‘Come on, Curls, let’s get out of here before Zainey gets all growly and ruins the mood.’
As if that ship hasn’t already sailed.
I grab Tilly’s hand before she starts to follow Jed. ‘Are you okay to go with him?’ I ask quietly. It’s not that I don’t trust Jed to walk her there safely – I mean, after what I just witnessed, if anything were to happen, he would be able to defend them both. But I want to make suresheis comfortable. There’s a big difference between making a passing comment on how attractive a guy is, and letting him walk with you in the dark, alone.
Tilly nods, her eyes darting between Sebastian and myself with raised brows, giving me a ‘willyoube okay?’ look in return. I nod back, squeezing her hand once more before she relents and turns to join Jed, who is leaning against a tree, waiting for her to follow.
